Aeroplane



J. KLE IDMAN.

AEROPLANE. AP LICATION FILED DEC. 11. 1917.

Patented May 18,1920.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. KLEIDMAN.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. ll. I917.

Patented May 18, 1920.

7SHEETSSHEET'Z.

ATTORNEY J. KLEIDMAN.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11. p917.

1 40,450, Patented May 18, 1920.

ISHEETS-SHEET 3.

I l I I i! i i I I J. KLEIDMAN.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.11, 1917.

Patented May'18, 1920.

I SHEE1S-SHEET 4.

HIHIII' J. KLEIDMAN.

AEROPLANE'.

APPLICATION FILED 050.11. 1917.

1 340,450. Patented May 18,1920.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

INVENTOR J. KLEIDMAN.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. H, 1917.

1,340,450, Patented May 18, 1920.

7 SHEETS-SHEET e. II

J. KLEIDMAN.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11,1917. .1 40,450. te ted May 18, 1920.

ISHEETS-SHEET 7.

I IN V EN TOR.

j A; ATTORNEY;

JOSEPH KLEIDMAN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

AEBOPLAN E.

* Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented, Ma 18, 1920.

Application filed December 11, 1917. Serial No. 206,604.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPHKLEmMAN, a citizen of Russia, and a resident of the city of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to flying machines, and more particularly to. those of the aeroplane type.

One of the objects of the invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction of the flying machines and to make their control as simple as possible.

Another object of the invention is to provide the flying machine with arched or curved aeroplanes, the position of which may be either simultaneously or independently of each other adjusted in relation to the frame or body of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to so.

construct the aeroplanes of the flying machine that they not only serve as sustaining elements, but also aid in propelling the vessel. r

A still further object 'of the invention is to combine with the propeller of the ma chine a simplemeans, that causes the air, drawn by the motion of the propeller, to act on the underside of the aeroplanes, thereby greatly increasing the sustaining power of the latter.

Another object of the invention is toso combine the positioning means of the aeroplanes and of the several rudders or steering means of the machine that the operator has at all times perfect control of the same.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the flying machine that its formv corresponds as nearly as possible to that of a bird, not only to offer the least resistance possible to the air but also to permit its aeroplanes to perform the functions of the arched wings of a bird.

A still further object of the'invention' is to so mount the motor upon the frame of the machine that the said motor acts to some exdescribed, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts and details of Figure 1- is a side e evation of a flying machine constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through a portion of the flying machine, on a larger scale; Fig. 5. is a section taken online 5-5 f Fig. 4;Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of one oft e aeroplanes of the machine; Fi 7; is asec ion taken on l1ne-7-7 of'F 1g. 6; .ig. 8 is a top plan view of one of the blades of the propeller; Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 4;

certain parts being removed in order to more clearly show the construction; Fig. 10 1s a sect on taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 IS a section taken on line 11 -11 of fieferring to the drawings the numeral 20 indicates the car or body 0 a flying machine, made, preferably, of a plurality of sections,

wvhich are united in any suitable manner.

The body resembles that of a bird, having long stream-lines, so as to present as little resistance to the air as possible. This body ismounted upon wheels 21, for a well-known purpose, to its chassis 22 being attached springs 22 which serve to take up the shock when the machine descends upon the ground. Near its front there is secured to the body a ring-shaped member 23, encircling the body,

' the connection being made by arms or spiders 23', the latter being disposed in front of the said ring-shaped member. Upon the tent as a means for balancing or maintaining the equilibrium of the machine.

With these and other objects in view,

which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the combination," arrange ment, and construction of partshereinafter memberv 23 are oscilla'tably mounted two rings, denoted. by the numerals 24 and 25,

. Said ringS being held against motion in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the.

body 20 by anygsuitable means. Anti-friction members 26 are interposed between rings 23, 2-1 and 25, for a well-known pur pose.

The machine is of the monoplane type, its aeroplane being made of two sections 27 and 28. Each of these sections, generally speaking,has the contour of the wing of a bird, and is arched both transversely and also in its longitudinal direction. Each ofthe aeroplane sections is provided at its front end and near its middle portion with a ring-shaped member 29 and 30, respec body 20 and being held in position by standards 37 within the said body.

with an extension 38, by which the section 27 is attached to the ring 24 and the section 28 to the ring 25, the connection being made by rivets 39, or other suitable fastening means.

It is obvious that, by shifting the rings 24 and 25 on the stationary ring-shaped member 23, the aeroplane sections will be shifted accordingly on the body 20. They are shifted around a common axis, towit: the longitudinal axisof the body 20. The means for shifting the rings 24 and 25 may be of any suitable construction, the preferred form being shown in the drawings and in cludes a spindle 40, thatis fixedly attached to a slide 41, the latter being shifta-bly disposed within an arc-shaped groove 42 ip the ring-shaped member 23. Upon the spindle are loosely mounted two pinions, denoted by the numerals 43 and 44. The pinion 43 meshes with a crown-gear segment 45 on v the ring 24, and the pinion 44 with a crowngear segment 46 on the ring 25. The pinion 43 furthermore meshes with a gear segment 47, that is fixedly attached to one end of a flexible shaft 48, to the other end of which is secured a pinion 49, that is rotatably mounted upon a spindle 50, the latter being carried by a cross shaped member 51. This last named member is disposed in front of the operators seat 52, and is mounted upon the tubular rod 36 in a manner to permit it to assume various angular positions in rela tion to the said tubular rod. Preferably, there is formed upon the said tubular rod a spherical head 53, fitting a socket 54 on the cross-shaped member51. The purpose of this arrangement will be described hereinafter. The pinion 44 also meshes with a gear segment, denoted by the numeral 55.

Each of the aeroplane sections is furthermore provided This segment is rigidly attached to one end of a flexible shaft 56, that, preferably, extends through the flexible shaft 48. The other end of the shaftv 56 carries a pinion 57, rotatably mounted upon the spindle 50 above referred to. The pinion 49 meshes with a toothed rack, 58, and the pinion 57 with a toothed rack 59. The rack 58 is fixedly attached to a handle 60, and a rack 59 in a similar manner to a handle 61. The handles 60 and 61 are pivoted at 62 and 63, respectively, to the horizontal arms of the cross-shaped member 51. Upon the handles 60 and 61'are shiftable mounted springpressed latches 64 and 65, respectively, provided with finger pieces 66 and 67, respectively. These finger pieces are within the reach of the operator when grasping the handles 60 and 61. The springs on the latches hold them in engagement with the inions 49 and 57 and their respective racks.

hen in engagement, the handles 60 and 61 cannot be shifted around their pivots. thereby holding the said pinions against movement.

The slide 41 above referred to is mounted upon the upwardly extending arm 68 of a substantiallyring-shaped member 69. This member is connected by a bracket 70 with the operators seat: 52, the said bracket being oscillatably mounted upon the tubular rod 36. Springs 71, hearing against the body 20 and the substantially ring-shaped member 69, serve to hold the latter concentrically with the tubular rod 36.

The positions of the aeroplane sections may be adjusted, irrespective of the position of the cross-she ed member 51, in the following manner: y disen agingboth latches from the pinions and rac with which they cooperate, the handles 60 and 61 may be turned around their pivots toward and away from each other. In this manner the aeroplane sections are simultaneously raised or lowered, depending upon the direction in which the handles are being shifted. If only one of the latches is disengaged from itspinion and latch, and the corresponding.

handle shifted, obviously, the position of the respective aeroplane section only will be varied in relation to the body 20.

The operator holds his feet on the lower portion of the substantially ring-shaped member 69. By causing the ring-shaped member 69 to swing in one or the other direction, the slide 41 is shirted in the corresponding direction, carrying with it the pinions 43 and 44, which arethus locked against movement and shift both rings 24 and 25 simultaneously in the same direction whereby one of the wings is raised and the other one lowered.

The steering means or rudders of the machine are disposed in front of the ringshaped member 23. There are two vertical rudders73 and two horizontal rudders .74

provided. One of the vertical rudders is disposed above the, body 20 and the other one below the same,and one horizontal rudder on one side of the body and the other one on the other side thereof. Each rudder is provided with two journals 75 and 76. The journals 75 work within bearings v7 7, that are formed upon brackets 77 the groove 80, extending parallel to the longithe horizontal plane.

tudinal axis of the body 20. In each groove is seated an arc-shaped head 81. These heads are formed upon the arms of the.

cross-shaped member 51, the centers ofthe arcs coinciding with the center of the spherical head 53, whereby the said heads may be shifted in the said grooves.

Assuming that the four arms of the crossshaped member 51 are disposed in a vertical plane, extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body 20, obviously the vertical rudders 73 will be in a "ertical plane passing through the said longitudinal axis and the horizontal rudders 74 in a horizontal plane passing through the said axis. If itis intended to steer the machine in'a horizontal plane in either direction, obviously the vertical rudders 73 must be shifted in their bearings. For this purpose, the operator shifts, by means of the handles 60 and 61, the cross-shaped member 51 in a vertical plane in the direction of either of-the arrows shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings, whereby the heads 81 of the vertical arms of the said cross-shaped memberturn' the blocks 7 9 of the rudders 73 correspond ingly, thereby causing the rudders 73, fixedly attached to said blocks, to move in the proper direction. On the other hand, ifit is intended to steer the flying'machine in a vertical plane, the rudders 74 must be shifted correspondingly. For this purpose the operator tilts by means of the handles 60 and 6.1 the cross-shaped member in the direction of either of the arrows shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings. In this manner the heads of the horizontal arms of the crossshaped'member shift the blocks 79 of the rudders 74, causing the said rudders to be inclined, in one or the other direction to Itv is obviously pos sible to actuate the four rudders simultaneously. to steer the flying machine in winclined plane.

From the foregoing it appears that both aeroplane sections and thefrudders of the device'are adgusted by a common'means, to wit: the handles 60 and 61, so that the entire control of the machine is centralized.

Locking means are provided for holding the cross-shaped member 51 in any desired position. This locking means comprises a spring-pressed pawl 53', adapted to engage anyone of a row of teeth 53." on the spherical head 53.-

a The propelling means of the machine comprises a screw propeller, having a suitable number of blades, denoted by the numeral 82. Each of these blades is fixedly attached to a cylinder 83 of an internalcombustion engine of the rotary-cylinder type. In the case illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of thedrawings, a six cylinder motor is shown, although, obviously, any other suitable number of cylinders may be employed. These cylinders are mounted equidistantly upon a ring-shaped frame 84, comprising two rings 85 and 86 which are adapted to revolve on ring-shaped ledges 87 and 88, respectively, on the frame 20. Anti-friction devices 88' are interposed between the motor frame and the said' ledges. The endwise thrust toward the rear of the frame 20 is taken up by a ring 89 on the'body 20, and toward the front bya beveled ring 90 on the said body, part of the ring. 86 of the engine frame being also beveled andin contact with the ring 90. The engine is mountedjcentrally upon the body 20, that is to say its center is located in the longitudinal axis of the body 20.' Within each cylinder of the engine works a piston 91. These pistons are each pivoted to a connecting rod 92, the inner ends of which are rigidly connected to a ring. 93,-that is adapted to rotate on a ring 94, the latter being eccentrically formed upon the body 20, as clearly appears from Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. Anti-friction devices 95 are interposed betweenthe rings 93and 94. Combustible mixture is supplied from a charge forming device (not shown) through a pipe 96 to a chamber 97, from which it flows through an outlet 98 to an inlet opening 99 of a cylinder, when the said cylinder passes the said outlet 98. The combustible mixture flows to the working chamber of the respective cylinder, to be compressed there- .in in the usual manner. After compression ignition takes place, the resulting products of combustion acting upon the piston. thereby causing the cylinder to rotate on the eccentric ring 94. A detailed description of the internal combustion engine is deemed to be unnecessary herein, inasmuch as it does not form part of the present applica -tion for Letters- Patent and is intended to be covered by a separate application. v

The inner face of the ring-shaped member 23 is that'qf a frustum of a cone, the :base

face of'the ring-shaped member 23, while their following edges 101 are inclined and extend a substantial distance i rear of the rear face of the said ring-shape member.

In order to prevent the air drawn by the propeller from being thrown too much sidewise, there are Jivoted to the ring-shaped member 23 at 10 above and below the body 20, two planes 103, the positions of which may be adjusted in relation to the longitudinal axis of the body 20. For this purpose there is fulcrumed at 104, withinthe reach of the operator, to the interior of the body 20 a lever 105, to the free end of which are attached flexible connections 106, connecting the said lever with the planes 103.

Flexible. connections 107, running over sheaves (not shown), connect the planes 103 with the fulcrum point of the lever 105. By shifting the lever in one or the other direction, the said planes will be moved around gunners or passengers as the case may be.

The operator 53 may observe the field in front of him through a periscope 109, including a prismatic mirror 110 within the tubular rod. 36, the front of which may be closed by a bulls eye 111. A lens system 112 may be arranged within the tubular rod 36 in front of the prismatic mirror 110.

The aeroplane sections may be strengthened by stay wires 113, which are attached to the sections and the respective rings 21 and 25. v

To the rear portion of the body 20 are rigidly secured vertical tail-planes 11 1.and horizontal tail-planes 115, to stabilize the machine. I

The operation of the machine is as follows:1nasmuch as the aeroplane sections have each a wing-link form, obviously a current of air striking the forward edges 7 thereof is deflected upward by the forward part of the aeroplane section, thereby causing a partial vacuum over the greater por tion of the upper surface of said section, thus greatly increasing the sustaining power of the aeroplane sections compared with the fiat aeroplanes now generally in use. The angle of incidence of the aeroplane sections in relation to a horizontal plane may be varied as above described;- more particularly their positions may be varied independently of each other or simultaneously. Both aeroplane sections may be raised, for instance, simultaneously after full speed has been attained in which case obviously a smaller angle of incidence is desirable, On the other hand they may be both lowered as the speed of the aeroplane is being decreased. One or the other of the aeroplane sections may be raised orlowered in order to, balance the flying machine laterally, in case it becomes unstable owing to various conditions of wind pressure and other causes. It may be found necessary to lower one of the aeroplane sections and simultaneously raise the other one in case it is intended to make a short turn with the machine. All of these maneuvers may be easily carried out in the manner above described by the two hands and two feet of the operator.

Attention is called to the fact that the longitudinal center line of the body 20 coincides'with the center of the internal combustion engine, actuating the blades of the propeller. For this reason the machine is adapted to be steered with great facility to any given point.

The propeller forces the air directly under the aeroplane sections and the latter direct the air, by reason of the ribs 27 on the underfaces thereof, rearwardly, thereby causing the sustaining elements to aid in propelling the vessel. For the same reasons the sustaining power of the aeroplane sections is also increased.

The ring-shaped member 23 has a beveled inner surface and the following edges 101 of the propeller blades extend in rear .of the said ring-shaped member in order to properly guide, the air to the underfaces of the aeroplane sections and to direct the air rearwardly.

Inasmuch as the propeller rotates in the ring-shaped member 23, the air is drawn by the propeller from the front of the machine and does not affect the air at the periphery, as in the constructions now generally in use. Due to this fact a vacuum or partial vacuam is created in front of the machine, which greatly aids the flight of the machine.

To the front of the body 20 there ma be rigidly attached, immediately in rear 0 the bulls eye 111, two vertical head planes 116 and two horizontal head planes 117, having the same functions as the planes 114 and 115 above mentioned. In addition, they serve also to reduce the vibrations of the front portion of the body.-

By reason of the fact that the steering devices are located in front of the propeller, it is possible to cause,

at full speed, the machine to turn in a comparatively small circle.

vWhat I claim is 1. A flying machine, including a frame, two vertically disposed rudders pivoted thereto, said two rudders being located in the same plane one above said frame and the other below the same, two horizontally disposed rudders also pivoted to said frame.

said horizontal rudders being located in the o i a 6 same p ane on l e lwo si es 0 sm rame, the inner pivots of all of said rudders extending into said frame and each carrying a block having a groove. extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said frame, and a cross-shaped member universally and centrally mounted upon said frame, each of the arms of said member carrying an arcshaped head seated in the groove of one of said-blocks.

2. A flying machine, comprising a frame, two aeroplane sections hinged to said frame substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said frame, a vertically disposed rudder pivoted to said frame, a horizontally disposed rudder also pivoted to said frame, and a single means for shifting said aeroplane sections around their hinges and for actuating both of said rudders, said lastnamed means permitting said aeroplane sections to be actuated, at will, independently of each other in either direction or simultaneously in the same or opposite directions.

3. A flyin machine com risin a frame a ring-shaped member transversely mounted upon said frame and encircling the latter, two rings oscillatably mounted upon said ring-shaped member, two aeroplane sections hinged to said frame substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of' said frame, each of said sections being fixedly attached to one of said rings, a vertically disposed rudder pivoted to said frame, a horizontally disposed rudder also pivoted to said frame, and a single means for shifting said rings and for actuating both of said rudders.

e. A flying. machine, comprising a frame,

liu liil i i H u wall a ring-s ape mem er transverse y mounted upon said frame and encircling the lat ter, two rings oscillatably mounted upon said ring-shaped member, two aeroplane sections hinged to said frame substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said frame, each of saidsections being fixedly attached to one of said rings, a vertically disposed,,r lddef pivoted to said frame, a horizontally disposed rudder also pivoted to said frame, and a single means for shifting said rings and for actuating both of said rudders, said last named means permitting said rings to be actuated either independently of each other or simultaneously.

5. A flying machine, comprising a frame, a ring-shaped member transversely mounted upon said frame and encircling the latter, two rings oscillatably mounted upon said ring-shaped member, two aeroplane sections hinged to said frame substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said frame, each of said sections being fixedly attached to one of said rings, a vertically disposed rudder pivoted to said frame, a horizontally disposed rudder also pivoted to said frame, and a single means for shifting said rings and for actuating both of said rudders, said last named means permitting said rings to be shifted, at will, independently of each other in either direction or simultaneously in the same or opposite directions.

Signed ,at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this dth day of Dec. A. D. 1917.

JOSEPH KLEIDMAN. 

